UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS

ICELAND INFORMATION NIGHT
The Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce and Noecker Travel are offering a trip to the Natural Wonders of Iceland! Departing Saturday, August 31, 2013 for 10 days. Come find out what the trip is all about! Mar 7 at the Chamber office (400 Tower Street South, Fergus) 5:00pm-7:00 pm.
Please call 519-843-5140 if you plan to attend.

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS
We will be at Planet CPU (350 Tower Street South Fergus) on Mar 13, 5:30pm-7:00pm. See you all there!

NETWORKING BREAKFAST
Join us at O'Bean's Java Bar in Fergus on Mar 27, 7:30am-9:00am and listen to Bob Stewart from the Grand @ 92.9 speak on radio advertising and how it can help your business!

PUB NIGHT

Thank you to Elora Cork for hosting this month's Pub Night! Delicious food and good company. Be sure to join us next month at the Shepherd's Pub!

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS

We were joined by Barney Tracy of Tracy Group Benefits & Financial Services to hear about the Chamber's Plan. Being a member of the Chamber of Commerce offers you access to a competitive Group Insurance Plan which offers coverage starting at life insurance, medical, prescription drug, dental, disability income, critical illness, office overhead, retirement savings, employee assistance, etc, and YOU pick the levels of coverage! This is a great way to attract and retain new and existing employees. Get FREE information about group benefits, even request a quote, at www.chambers.ca/info or ontact Barney at 519-820-1283 or btracy@groupbenefits.on.ca

MEMBER MILESTONES

Ecclestone Financial Group Inc. is pleased to announce that Bryan Paul has joined the team as an Account Representative. Welcome!

Legge Fitness Stores has relocated to a larger space in the Fergus Market Place, 125 Queen St. W., Fergus. They are now located at the west end, with entrance off the main parking lot. For information call 519-787-7498 or visit www.leggefitness.com

MICHAEL CHONG, MP REPORTS

When the global recession of 2008 arrived on Canada’s shores, your federal government reacted quickly with Canada’s Economic Action Plan, a plan for jobs, growth and long-term prosperity. That plan includes expanding Canada’s trade with other nations by embarking on the most ambitious series of trade negotiations since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was negotiated some 20 years ago. One in five Canadian jobs and 60% of Canada’s GDP depend on trade with other nations, so expanding trade makes sense.

Just a few of the recent trade agreements concluded and brought into force include Canada-Jordan, Canada-Colombia, and Canada-Peru. Current negotiations under way include Canada-Honduras, Canada-India, Canada-Morocco and Canada-Singapore. All of these trade agreements, however, are dwarfed by two negotiations currently underway: the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), a proposed free trade agreement with Pacific Rim nations, as well as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a proposed free trade agreement between Canada and the European Union (EU), which I wrote about here one year ago. I would like to update you on CETA negotiations, as they are nearing completion.

CETA presents a huge opportunity for Canada. If negotiations are successful, CETA will be the largest free trade agreement since NAFTA was introduced some 20 years ago. The EU is the world’s largest integrated economy, with more than 500 million consumers and a GDP of over $17 trillion, larger than the United States.

With our low federal taxes and strong economy, Canada is an investment destination for companies from around the world. In fact, Forbes magazine recently named Canada as the best place in the world to do business. In 2011, direct investment by European companies in Canada totaled almost $161 billion, representing over 26 percent of total foreign investment in Canada. That same year, direct investment by Canadian companies in the EU totaled almost $173 billion, representing over 25 percent of Canadian direct investment abroad.

CETA is expected to further boost bilateral trade by 20 percent and contribute an additional $12 billion annually to Canada’s economy. It is also expected to create 80,000 new Canadian jobs, equivalent to adding the current number of jobs in Kingston to the Canadian economy.

CETA will cover things such as goods, services, and investment. It will also put in place predictable investment rules and provide guaranteed market access, meaning that both Canadian and European businesses will have the clear rules necessary to invest abroad. This will create a level playing field for Canadian businesses wanting to invest or sell products and services in Europe.

Canadian businesses from every sector – from agriculture to plastics – will benefit from increased access to the lucrative EU market under CETA. By reducing tariffs and other barriers to trade, Canadian businesses will be more competitive on the international stage. For example, EU tariffs on chemicals and plastics (a sector the employs more than 87,000 Ontarians) currently average 4.9 percent. Under CETA, Canadian businesses would benefit from the elimination of these tariffs.

We had expected to complete negotiations by the end of 2012. However, negotiations are still ongoing as the last remaining items are settled. We anticipate that negotiations will conclude this spring. Once complete, the details of CETA will be made public and tabled in the House of Commons.

Expanding trade creates employment and economic growth, benefiting businesses small and large. Your federal government, through Canada’s Economic Action Plan, is focused on creating long-term prosperity by an ambitious expansion of trade agreements like the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). If you have any questions about our trade plan, you can contact me by phone at (866) 878-5556 or by email at michael.chong@parl.gc.ca.

ROBERTA REPORTS

The calendar year is when the bulk of our renewal invoices are issued and I want to sincerely thank our members who have renewed their Memberships. It is with your support that the Chamber is able to provide the quality and quantity of events throughout the year. The Chamber is made up of its MEMBERS and only by hearing from you can we ensure that you get what you want from your membership dues. We encourage you to email or call with any ideas or suggestions you may have.

While the snow is still falling and we are all dreaming of warmer weather the Chamber staff and committees are busy planning for some warm weather events!!
On Thursday, March 7th, you are invited to come out and hear about the trip to ICELAND. We will have a rep from Insight Travel to answer all our questions about this extraordinary trip! There are only 16 seats available so don`t be disappointed, book your seat soon! Iceland from what I understand is a land with lots of greenery, volcanoes, waterfalls, and geothermal waters. This should be an exciting trip to give us a taste of the unique and beautiful landscape and people.

The Awards of Excellence committee is busy planning a new format for the gala this year! We will be at the Fergus Grand Theatre on Thursday, May 16th, 2013. There will be canapés and sweets served, with a cash bar available. Our sponsors, nominees, and guests will then be seated in the recently re-furbished theatre for the awards presentation. The Chamber and our amazing Diamond sponsors will hand out 13 beautiful handmade glass plates from Blown Away Glass, plus Long Service Awards for those businesses we know of who have been in business in CW for 25 and 40 years.

Our 15th Annual Golf Day is set for Wednesday, June 12th, 2013 at Ariss Valley Golf & Country Club. Jim and his crew will make sure we have an excellent day of golf, food and fun! The Golf Committee will be looking for Tee Box Sponsors, Hole Set Up Sponsors, and Hole in One Sponsors in the next couple of months…so don’t let the snow get you down…think green!! There will also be fun on green with a Putting Contest – I wonder if there will be a 3 way tie-breaker again this year!! So save the date and stay tuned, as further details will be coming soon.

While all this planning is going on we are still working with our Networking Breakfasts, Business After Hours, Pub Nights and Education Sessions. If you would like to be a speaker at our breakfast, or host a Business After Hours or Pub Night or if there is a topic you would like to know more about (or even share your knowledge with other members) please call and let Heather or myself know.

THE CENTRE WELLINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS CALLING FOR NOMINATIONS TO HOLD THE POSITION OF DIRECTOR:

If you are a current member in good standing with the Chamber

If you are interested in volunteering to support local business

If you want to participate in the Community

If you want to network with and meet other like minded people

The CW Chamber is the voice of business in Centre Wellington and we are in need of civic minded business people to direct the activities of the Chamber. If you (or a senior staff member you support) are interested in participating in letting your name stand for the board, please contact Roberta at the 519-843-5140 for a Nomination Form.

Nominations close March 31st, 2013 at 5:00 p.m.

NETWORKING BREAKFAST

On Wednesday February 27, we gathered at the Gorge Country Kicthen in Elora to hear from Dan Allen of The Heritage Group about Pooled Retirement Pention Plans. Thank you to all who endured the weather and made it out.

A Pooled Registered Pension Plan (PRPP) is a new type of group retirement savings plan. It is a defined contribution pension plan with some differences that make it simpler than a typical defined contribution pension plan. The PRPP offers tax advantages for both employers and employees, similar to those offered by a traditional pension plan.

Pictured left are Dan Allen and chamber director Aileen Hawkins.

MONTHLY WINK

(CWCC's tip of the month)

Presenting to Clients: It is essential that you maintain a strong relationship with your key clients. Too often we rely on e-mail alone as a form of ‘staying in touch’. Depending on the type of business you are in, you need to continually win and motivate your client. When pitching new ideas or current project milestones, put effort into making a strong presentation. Show them that you care and that their business is important to you. Prepare agendas for your client meetings, take meeting minutes, and mount visuals onto a black presentation board. *Kickstarters

BDC YEA CONTEST: An opportunity for young entrepreneurs in your network

Would you give a young entrepreneur in your network a chance to win $100,000?

BDC just launched the 2013 BDC Young Entrepreneur Award (YEA) and would like your help sharing this information with as many young entrepreneurs as possible. It could be worth $100,000 or $25,000 in consulting services for a young entrepreneur in your network 18 to 35 years of age!

All you need to do is visit our YEA partners' web page, download the web banner(s) of your choice, and share them with your members or post them on your website. It's as easy as click and save!

Disclaimer - Any opinions and articles in this newsletter, do not necessarily express the views of the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce. We take every effort to ensure correct spelling and accuracy of information. If you have any comments or concerns, please email rscarrow@cwchamber.ca or phone 519-843-5140.

The Business Blink is a monthend email newsletter published by the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce for the business community. If you are not already a member, please consider supporting the Champion of Business in Centre Wellington by becoming a member.